Crystal Rose
by Lorena Soul
Summary: [complete] Kaylen has come to paris to escape a past that haunts her. When she finds work at the opera she considers herself fortunate but, she has no idea what she is getting herself into.
1. Default Chapter

The street lamps lined the road giving an eerie feeling to Kaylen's midnight stroll. As she neared the place which had become her home she pulled her cloak more tightly around her. The opera house loomed up ominously in front of her and while the hundreds of statues that ornamented the grand building seemed welcoming in the day, they seemed to serve a darker master at night, watching her enter their building with cold stone eyes.

Her shoes made a slight clicking noise as she made her way to her dressing room, and her home in the opera. She had come here a few months ago hoping to find work at the opera. She had no real talent to speak of, or so she thought, and so she had come to apply merely as a cleaning women and hoping to rent one of the less expensive apartments in the worse part of town. But as always with her life things did not go as she had planned. She gave a slight smile as she realized that maybe her plans being spoiled had been a good thing this time.

She had come here after her last living relative had died in her hometown leaving her alone to fend for herself. She had no desire to stay in that town for even though it was her place of birth, It held all the bad memories of slowly watching everyone she loved leave her. She didn't know why she had chosen Paris, she knew only that it seemed to be calling her, beckoning her to travel its dark streets and sample its great sights.

Of course, she secured the cleaning job with surprising ease, so much so that she had thought for one moment that an angel had been watching over her, for without that job she had had no idea where she would go next to find a place to earn income. She had quickly dismissed the idea, though, thinking it silly to believe in such foolishness as angels. No one watched over her except herself. No one would think she was worth watching over.

She attacked her work with a fury that none had ever seen before, considering herself lucky to have found such a great position in one of the most famous buildings in Paris. She felt as if even though she was merely a cleaning lady she was part of something much bigger. As if the better she cleaned anything the more chance it had of catching a patron's eye and adding just a little to their enjoyment. She would often stay well after her fellow workers had retired to add that extra sparkle to one banister or another before finally returning to her small apartment in the bad part of town.

It was while she was on one such cleaning spree when she had met Madame Smith. "My dear if you scrub that banister anymore you might polish right through it." she had said with a laugh coming up behind her and offering her hand for a friendly hand shake. Madame smith had come from the United States on one of those soul searching journeys that people like her were apt to take. Upon arriving in Paris she had finally settled down and become the head seamstress for the Opera Populaire.

Kaylen liked her immediately, how could one not like such a cheery lady as Madame Smith. Upon noticing her dress, Madame Smith exclaimed, " My dear Kaylen, you must tell me where you get your clothes, that dress beautiful." Kaylen looked down at her dress she used for cleaning. It was plain for the purpose of cleaning, plain but not ugly and kept clean despite her messy job. Her mother had always told her that you could be the lowest beggar on the street or the wealthiest man in Europe but you weren't anything unless you took pride in your appearance."

Thank you Madame. I am pleased that you like it. I made it myself." Moving all the way to Paris had left her with little money to spend on luxuries such as new clothes.

Madame Smith stepped back so she could see the dress as a whole and examine it with her expert eyes. "Madame, this is exquisite work. Perfect stitching no lose threads. Have you ever considered becoming a seamstress. You could go very far."

"I had never really thought about it before. Do you really think I have a chance?"

"I think you would excel and it just so happens that I am in need of an assistant. It pays much better than cleaning and offers more benefits. If you would like I could request that you be hired in the costume department."

"I would like that very much."

"Good I'll put in a word to the managers tomorrow. Good day Kaylen."

"Good day Madame Smith."

"Please my name is Birdy."

"Oh, good day Birdy and thank you."

After that she had become Birdy's apprentice and an usherette as a side job to earn more money. Also she moved into the opera house next to Birdy, who explained that as her apprentice she would be working late nights trying to meet deadlines for the costumes, and with hundreds of perfectly good rooms here there was no reason for her to travel those dangerous streets alone late at night to reach her small apartment. Kaylen had agreed and moved in to the apartment next to Birdy.

As she walked toward her room she felt an eerie presence as if she was being followed. She quickened her steps glancing behind her for her unseen pursuer. She did not slow when she saw that no one was behind her. Instead she quickened her steps slowing only when she entered her room.

She leaned against her door after closing it behind her hoping that somehow if there was someone after her she could use her small wisp of a body to barricade the door. After a while when nobody tried to come in and brutally murder with a butcher's knife as she had imagined she sighed and began to relax.

'What is wrong with you Kaylen.' she thought inwardly angry at herself for being so afraid of nothing. Her lips curled in a small smile as a new thought occurred to her. ' You must be getting paranoid living in this old building what with the phantom walking about and all.'

Her new friend Meg Giry had told her about the phantom and put all these thoughts into her head. She was to blame. Kaylen had met Meg, whom everybody called lovingly "little Meg" upon first entering the Opera house. She had been in a hurry not wanting to miss her opportunity in getting a job at the opera. As usual she had not been looking where she was going and had literally bumped into Meg who just happened to be carrying a large stack of sheet music.

"I'm so sorry." Kaylen said as she attempted to help Meg gather the sheets before the cold Paris wind could scatter them.

"That's alright" Meg said with a friendly smile, " anything that will keep me from ballet practice for a few extra moments I gladly welcome. " when she saw Kaylen's confused look she added " If you ever had to sit through one of those dreadful lessons you would understand. Any moment spared from them is a moment to be treasured." They sat on the steps for a while organizing the sheets and laughing at Megs little Quip. They had been good friends ever since even more so now that she lived at the Opera.

She sighed again 'that explains it then. Its just those ideas Megs been putting in your head.'  
Meg seemed to be the authority on the phantom, ever ready to regale the entire chorus and anybody else who was willing to listen for that matter, with bone chilling tales of the phantoms latest crimes.

Of course it was all rubbish as Kaylen's other friend, Ashley, had pointed out. Ashley was not normally the sensible type being an aspiring singer/actress and therefore rather offbeat at times, but she had made it perfectly clear that she did not belief a word of what Meg had been saying. Kaylen liked Ashley's attitude towards Megs stories. It wasn't good to fill ones head with silly stories when there was a job to be done, and anyway it was just childish.

She let out a deep sigh and moved towards her closet donning a silk night gown, a gift from Ashley and Meg when they had realized how little clothes Kaylen had. She stopped in front of her mirror admiring her reflection as she often did. She wasn't vain, on the contrary she hated seeing her reflection in the mirror. She wasn't exactly ugly but she definitely wasn't pretty either. Just plain, terribly plain. To plain for most anybody to notice.

It was just that mirrors held a kind of magic. It was just amazing to her that her image could be captured and so precisely reflected back to her. She pulled her mid-back length hair into a braid and crossed the room toward her night stand. She gingerly picked up her most prized possession, a glass rose figurine her mother had left her before she died, and gently ran her fingers along the petals mouthing a silent prayer, as was her routine every night. Finally she laid the arlume back on the night stand and went to bed.


	2. twoaren't i creative?

The steady rhythm of the sewing machine accompanied her as she sung a soft lullaby under her breath. She always sang when she sewed, it helped her concentrate. She put her soul into the costumes she made noticing that they turned out better when she was in a good mood than if she was sad or cross.

She stopped abruptly as she felt a presence in the room watching her. She stopped the sewing machine sitting rigid. She should be alone, Birdy had gone out on a long errand and would not return for hours. "Who's there? " she asked a little shakily.

When no one answered she decided that she was to worked up to continue her work on her dress for one of the most important characters in Hannibal, the lead female character who would no doubt be played by the Prima Donna La Carlotta. She left her sewing and decided to take a stroll through the opera house to see if she could find her friends.' What a pleasant voice' Erik thought to himself as the young women left the room. Erik had been on one of his nightly patrols of the opera house, after all it was his duty as the phantom of this opera house to protect his inhabitants he had thought with a wry smile, when he had been distracted by soft singing. He had followed the voice to discover its origin expecting to find that his managers had hired a new singer to sing in his opera house, but what he found had totally amazed him. It was a mere seamstress who had made such pleasant music.

Pleasant, but not beautiful.

He could tell that her voice was entirely untrained and also it had a very sad sound to it as if the person singing had gone through a lot. He must have made some small noise for just when he was starting to enjoy the little lullaby the seamstress suddenly stopped singing, became startled, and left.

'Oh well," he thought as he turned from the costume room and headed back to his lair beneath the opera. The opera was full of promising singers this one was no different. There was no reason she should stand out above any other hopefuls in the opera. Erik stopped abruptly in the dark passage rolling a new thought around in his head.

' Could it be possible she is not aware of the gift she had? No that would be impossible.' he thought as he resumed his journey into the depths. It seemed absurd that someone could not recognize obvious talent such as that, but it would explain why he had never seen her at any of the auditions for the productions. Perhaps he would keep an eye on her.Kaylen found Meg and Ashley at rehearsal and decided to take a seat to watch them practice. The rehearsal was split into two sections: one for the singers and one for the dancers. Kaylen sat in the middle of the seating area so in that way she could keep her eye on both Meg and Ashley at the same time.As the rehearsal progressed she began to see the wisdom in Megs words. Rehearsal was terribly monotonous and Kaylen pitied Meg and Ashley who had to endure much more of this than the sample that Kaylen got to see.

A silence came over the room as the Primma Donna, La Carlotta, stood up to sing one of her many solos. As soon as she started singing Kaylen got a weird feeling that was she ever to meet Carlotta face to face she would not like her. She shook her head of this thought. It was wrong of her to judge people before she met them, but she was often right about things like this. After a while all Kaylen could think about was wishing that Carlotta would stop her wretched singing. True she must have been good to rise all the way to Primma Donna but to Kaylen her voice was merely a musical knife trying to saw a path into her head. Carlotta's voice's assault was beginning to get more acute along with the headache it had brought with it. Just when Kaylen thought she could stand no more Carlotta ended her dreadful butchery of whatever she was trying to sing and sat back down in her place of honor directly in front of the instructor signaling the end of rehearsal.

" Until tomorrow ladies and gentlemen you are dismissed."

Kaylen went up to the stage to gather her friends and catch up on the gossip. She never asked for the latest news, she didn't have to. Somehow it just came spilling out of Megs mouth without her realizing it. So Kaylen would sit and listen to her friend go on and on about who was dating who and other such nonsense. It was sometimes a good way to get news, providing you could prove that the news was true and not just another figment of Megs overactive imagination.

She approached a group of singers and dancers consisting of Carlotta, Meg, Ashley, the instructor, and a few more ballerina rats and singers she did not know. She reached the group and gave a friendly " Hi" to everyone. She felt immediately welcomed by all except for Carlotta who merely turned up her nose at her and said to her instructor " Monsieur, is it now company policy to let any riff-raff off the streets come in and watch rehearsals for the greatest opera house in the world?"

The instructor merely offered an apology to the stuffy Primma Donna before ushering her off in the opposite direction to avoid further conflict.

Kaylen didn't let it show how much being called 'riff-raff' bothered her. Instead she merely shrugged off the comment and began to talk with her friends.

" Hi Ashley. Hi Meg. You both looked worn out. Would you like to go to my room for something to drink. "Of course both agreed at once and so they started off toward Kaylen's room. " So want to here the news." Meg asked with the sparkle in her eye that she only got when she was spreading gossip.

"Sure" Kaylen said

" Well, first off that new guy has been following Ashley around for the past week."

"Has not." Ashley denied the accusation with all the emotion she could muster.

" Has to." Meg countered.

"Well, even if he was I wouldn't think of courting him."

"Why not. He's perfect. Blonde hair, blue eyes, rich, nice smile, lead male singer, did I mention he was rich."

"Several times." Ashley answered " But I want more than the perfect husband and money doesn't matter."

' Oh, no Meg why did you get her started?' Kaylen thought as she listened to her friends philosophy on " why the 'perfect man' wasn't perfect after all." truth be told, If she had dared to, Kaylen could have made the speech a wonderful duet seeing as she had heard it so many times before and by this time knew it by heart.

Finally they reached Kaylen's apartment. Kaylen went straight to the pitcher and poured both her friends a glass of water seemingly unaware of the pair of eyes that watched behind the wall.

Erik had followed her and her friends. Meg Giry he knew well. She was the daughter of his personal usherette. Ashley as the other one was called he had not seen before but if she was worthy of being in the company of both little Meg and his new interest, Kaylen, she couldn't be bad.

Erik watched as Kaylen handed her friends their glasses.

"Any other news, Meg." she asked

"Umm. You know Christine don't you?"

"I think I've met her once"

"Well she is one of my close friends and it turns out that she has acquired a new tutor who has been giving her great instruction. Everyone agrees she is much improved."

"Well who is this new tutor?" Ashley asked.

"That's the mystery. No one knows."

Erik allowed himself a slight smile. He knew who the new tutor was. He had started training Christine after falling in love with her beautiful voice.

After a few moments of silence the conversation continued.

"By the way Kaylen," Ashley began" Carlotta had no right to treat you as she did. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, it isn't your fault. Besides I could get back at her if I wished. Don't forget I'm making her dress for Hannibal. All I have to do is 'accidentally' leave some of the sewing pins in her dress."

They all laughed at this and the corner of Erik's mouth curled into a smile.

Not only was this new girl a person with immeasurable potential but she also despised Carlotta as much as he did.

Erik turned and headed for his lair.' If I ever meet her' he thought ' we will have much in common.Finally the presence she had felt while sitting with her friends had left. Meg and Ashley still being unaware of her sixth sense had gone on with their conversation without realizing their friends uneasiness. Kaylen had made it a point to ignore her paranoia. She had been wrong the last two times this time was no different.


	3. three

Kaylen entered the costume room lighting lamps as she went. She felt that presence again but perhaps this time it was just her nerves. She was running out of time and she still had some details to add. She sat down at her sewing machine and began to sing and sew. She sang an old folk tune from her village about a maiden who saves her village by finding a unicorn to cure disease. She sang it sadly wishing that she had been that maiden so that she could have saved her family from their terrible fates. It seemed as if her life was full of regrets. Erik stood behind the walls listening to the song that Kaylen was singing. If it had been sung by anybody else it would have been a happy song full of adventure and a happy ending. But when Kaylen sang it sounded sad As if when she sang it had a different meaning for her than the rest of the world.

'what could make this girl so sad?' Erik had to wonder as he moved in the passages to look at her through a secret spy hole he had made. He had often in the past looked in on the making of the costumes recommending slight changes he wished to see to the managers. Madame Smith must have wondered where the managers had suddenly gotten such a knack for fashion. He watched her sew with a silent satisfaction. The dress was beautiful. It looked like she had put extra time and thought into the design. Erik could find no fault in it. ' To bad she will have to take it in to fit someone a lot skinnier than that fat cow La Carlotta.' He had his own plans for the part of the lead.


	4. four

Kaylen pulled her cloak more tightly around her as she went deeper and deeper into the depths. Birdy had sent her down on an errand to fetch a bolt of cloth from one of the many storage rooms underneath the opera but she should have been there by now. She must have taken a wrong turn somewhere.

The shadows her candle threw on the wall made it hard to forget Megs stories of the phantom. Soon it became apparent that she was hopelessly lost. Still she went deeper and deeper until her small candle was virtually useless in the all-encompassing dark. Suddenly, her candle was blown out by some unseen force and she found herself wondering around in the dark. With every passing moment she became more afraid. Not of the dark. She loved the dark, she was afraid of being alone with everything in the dark especially spiders and rats. And she knew there were rats here. She could hear them scurrying around her and she quickened her steps to avoid them. The only sound was the wind rushing past her ears and the tapping of her shoes against the stone floor. As she wondered through the darkness she began to remember why she hated the night.  
It was about thirteen years ago. Kaylen and her father had gone out to explore the caves that he discovered at the edge of the village.

"Come on now Kaylen nothing is in here that can harm you as long as you stay with me."  
Kaylen had nodded in agreement. How trusting she had been back then. She had learned her lesson though. At first she had thought it was great fun never knowing what she would see next. It was an adventure, a safe adventure with her papa to protect her. There were all kinds of treasures down there shiny rocks and stones made smooth with years of wear. Kaylen got distracted by some purple crystals and didn't notice when the light of her papas candle slowly left her side. She was alone for hours in the cave with a lone candle. She remembered how she had tried to sing to ease her fears, but she had stopped when her candle had blown out. She had stayed in the caves for hours with only the bats and rats for companions before her father had finally found her. She had gone home that night a little shaken but fine as her father had said, but from that day on she had always slept with a candle by her bed.

She shook the memory away. She was too old to be scared of the dark anymore. She was trying so hard to reassure her self that she stopped looking where she was going and tripped over some unseen object. She fell down to the ground with a loud scream, not from pain but from surprise. She could feel a sharp pain in her ankle. She wasn't sure but she thought it might be broken. For a while she sat in the dark trying to think over her situation. She was alone in the cellars of the opera. How far down, she didn't know. Surely too far for anyone who worked at the opera to come regularly. There was little if any chance of anyone finding her on their own, and there was no way that she could walk with her ankle the way it was, even if she could find her way out (which she was fairly sure she couldn't). As much as she hated the whole damsel in distress look, it seemed as though she had no choice.

She began to scream for help at the top of her lungs, fairly sure that no one could her cries anyway. She was just beginning to give up hope when all of a sudden a hand reached out from behind her to clap her mouth shut.

"Silence." an unfamiliar voice hissed from behind.

Kaylen tried to turn her head to see who the stranger was but she could make out a face in the dark. Kaylen stopped screaming at once. Whoever this stranger was it seemed as though he was one who was used to getting his way. When he realized that she had stopped her screaming he slowly let go off her mouth as if unsure if she would start again. But Kaylen remained silent, her eyes never leaving the stranger, not that she could see him in this gloom. She knew where he was merely by some kind of sixth sense. When he was finally content in believing that she wouldn't scream again he set to examining her ankle, somehow knowing it was injured even though she had no said a word about it.Erik examined her ankle with all the scrutiny of a trained physician. He carefully felt the bone asking if it hurt.

" A little."

Erik made a sound of acknowledgement to her answer but kept examining the injury. There was no doubt about it, the ankle was broken. Erik had newfound respect for this women trespassing in his underground kingdom. Had it been any other women in the opera they would have screamed at the slightest touch to this kind of fracture.

The break was pretty bad and needed immediate attention. There was no question of trying to get her back to her room unseen. Sneaking one person through the opera was thing but two was just out of the question. He had no choice.

"Come, we must see to that ankle." He said as he lifted her up in his arms and made his way towards his lair.

The first thing Kaylen had noticed about this stranger was his voice. It was as beautiful as it was commanding. As he carried her through what seemed like an endless maze, she noticed something else about him, he was strong. Very strong, but not muscular. In fact he was remarkably skinny.

She soon lost all sense of direction in the gloomy cellars and finally allowed herself to relax, lying her head on the stranger's shoulder. He tensed when her head touched his chest but continued at a steady pace.Erik looked down at the girl he held in her arms. His eyes had long ago grown accustomed to the dark. Her face seemed totally relaxed even though she was in the arms of a total stranger, a stranger who was a monster. 'She has not seen the mask yet.' he reminded himself.

Finally they arrived at the lake that separated his domain from the rest of the world. He gently placed her onto the cushions on the boat being careful to mind her ankle. His eyes never left her as he poled her across the water. She was intriguing. Neither frightened nor alarmed that she was with someone she didn't know going to an unfamiliar place. Finally they reached the opposite side of the lake and Erik carefully lifted her up and deposited her on his black couch.

Kaylen lay on a black couch admiring its velvety softness. The stranger disappeared into another room without a word giving Kaylen a chance to observe her surroundings. On the other side of the room a fire crackled softly in the hearth. A large armchair was placed in front of the fireplace with a small table to one side. On the table a violin was lain haphazardly as if the person who had been playing it had left in a hurry. There were books all over the place. Not to say that they were scattered around, it was just that they lined the walls and covered the tables in an orderly fashion as if the reader had accumulated more books than he had room for. The room conveyed a powerful message of wealth. The furniture was of high quality and went well with the Persian rugs that covered the floor.

Finally the stranger returned from the other room carrying bandages to wrap the ankle in.

Erik worked fast, with all of the professional detachment of a well-trained doctor. Only when the ankle had been set and wrapped did he look at the face of his houseguest.

If she had been surprised at discovering he wore a mask she didn't show it. She seemed perfectly content in these alien surroundings.

Not knowing what to do next his mind reverted back to his childhood trying to remember basic manners when having guests. Though he was never allowed to be seen by company, he made it a point to pay attention to what they said and did.

"May I offer you something to drink?" He said hoping it was the right thing to say.

" May I have a glass of water?"

Erik nodded and returned presently with a glass of water which Kaylen sipped at thoughtfully.

Erik sat on a stool next to the couch wondering what to say next.

"Thank you "

"Your welcome." Erik said taking the glass and setting it aside.

"May I ask your name?"

"Erik"

"You have a very nice place here."

"Thank you."

"Um. Where exactly is here anyway?"

"You are in the fifth cellar under the opera."

"I knew I had taken a wrong turn somewhere. I came down here to-"

"To fetch a bolt of cloth, I know." Erik said cutting her off.

"How?" She said looking more curious than surprised.

"I know everything that goes on in my opera, Kaylen. What kind of phantom would I be if I didn't." He had said to much. He eyed her face expecting her to scream or try to run. Instead she only seemed to accept the fact that she was in the company of a murderer.

" I trust you will be comfortable staying here until the morning." he continued. She nodded. Erik stood up debating over where she should sleep. There was the spare room, but that was Christine's room. No she would sleep where she was. He couldn't bear to see someone else in that room when even he would not go in there. He went into another room returning with an extra pillow and blanket.

When he was assured of her comfort he turned to go to his own room.

"Goodnight." Kaylen called after him.

"Goodnight." Erik said turning back for one last look at the sleepy figure before blowing out the last candle and going to bed.


	5. i hate titles

Kaylen awoke in the morning in a small panic before she remembered where she was and what had happened last. It seemed as though as soon as she got up Erik was standing in the room ready to lead her back to her home. The trip back went quickly. She walked beside Erik leaning on him for support when she needed, but only when she really needed to. It seemed as though he didn't like to be touched though he never said anything about it. Finally they reached her room, which Erik seemed reluctant to enter.

Erik stood at the door way, looking into her room as he had done so many times from behind the walls.

"Try to keep your weight off that ankle." He said once again unsure of what to say and feeling a little awkward at being above ground and not in his secret passages.

She turned back to look at him, obviously puzzled on why he didn't come in.

"How can I thank you, Erik. If it wasn't for you I might still be down there."

Erik thought for a minute. "There is one thing Mademoiselle. I would think it fair payment if you would allow me to tutor your voice. I have heard you sing and I think with the right training you could be very good."

How had he heard her sing, she only sang while she was sewing. ' He's the phantom, you silly girl. He probably knows when a pen is dropped in the managers office.'

It seemed she had been finding out about her many unknown talents since coming to the opera. It was amazing that Erik would want to train her voice. Since she had known him, he seemed to enjoy only the best of everything. His house, his clothes, and his general appearance suggested so.

"I would be honored, Erik."

"Good. Be in your room at five o'clock tomorrow evening. Lessons start then."

With that he turned on his heal and disappeared into the shadows.


	6. ummm

Kaylen waited all day in anticipation for her lesson with Erik. As she went through her usual duties she tried to imagine how he would like her voice. She should not have let her mind linger on it for as long as she did for by the time the time came for her lessons she was nervous very nervous.  
*  
Erik waited behind the wall for Kaylen to enter her room. It was not five yet. He had decided to come a little early seeing as he did not have anything else to do. He watched her enter her room. She seemed nervous. It was understandable, after all it was not everyday that you get singing lessons from a ghost. He would have to start slow so as not to startle her.  
"Good evening, Kaylen." He said softly not wanting to spook her.  
"Good evening, Erik. " She said back as she sat in a chair facing his direction.  
"Shall we begin our lesson?" he asked. Kaylen nodded in response.  
*  
Though he seemed nervous during casual conversation, he seemed to completely relax once the subject changed to music. The lesson was not stressful. Erik was a good teacher correcting when necessary, praising when appropriate, but never criticizing as she had seen the maestro do with her friend Ashley. The lesson ended all to soon. Once she had discovered she had a natural talent for singing, Kaylen wanted nothing more than to improve upon that talent. She had wanted to continue singing but Erik had said that that was enough for tonight.  
*  
Erik was exhausted. This girl not only had potential, she had determination too. A bad combination if the teacher ever wanted to rest. He suspected that if he told her she had a talent for lighting candles she would pursue it until she perfected the art. Kaylen was very intelligent and willing, she only needed to be led down the right path. Once the lesson was done a musical conversation began and slowly turned less and less formal. Soon Erik and Kaylen were talking like long lost friends, reunited after years apart. He began to ask questions about her past and her family but she declined to talk about them., often changing the subject to some other subject. She never asked about his past of or the mask. Erik theorized that this was because in some way she knew that his past held secrets just as hers held secrets of her own. From then on it was an unspoken agreement between them that the past was to remain were it belonged, behind them. Many hours had passed without Erik realizing it. Finally he said his goodbyes to Kaylen and left, alone with his thoughts.  
*  
Kaylen was also left alone with her thoughts. The lesson had not been that bad, in fact she had rather enjoyed it. She enjoyed improving her voice and spending time with Erik, but the thing she loved the most was his voice. Oh, that voice must have been sent from heaven. It sent chills through her just thinking about it. She loved it when he sang to her , showing her by example how each note should sound , but her favorite was their duets. Their voices would rise and fall in such harmony that Kaylen was sure that they were meant to sing together. As the lessons continued that week Kaylen became more and more comfortable in Erik's company.


	7. maybe i should try harder to pick titles

Kaylen walked into her room early that day laying out the dress she would wear for her role as usherette that evening, She had to admit she would rather be an usherette than a cleaning woman. As an usherette she actually got to meet patrons becoming friends with some of them. Tonight was going to be the gala night for Hannibal and Kaylen could not wait to see who of Paris's high society would be attending. The opera was a place to see and be seen.   
Kaylen took her lesson as usual with Erik though it was cut short because of that evenings performance of Hannibal. Kaylen would have to be there early to start seating people as soon as they got there.  
Kaylen arrived late as usual for her usherette duties. She scanned the room. Everyone was here... except for Madame Giry. She was home sick. This put the managers in a somewhat bad position. Madame Giry was the Opera Ghost's personal usherette. Finding a replacement would be hard considering most of the other usherettes wouldn't touch the outer curtain to box five with a ten foot pole. Of course Kaylen was the one they decided would have the honor.   
"Me?" She said in feigned horror "Why me?"  
She felt like she had just won the lottery and was now going to be served up to a dragon as a peace offering. ' How kind of them' she thought. She supposed she should have expected it though. The usherettes were not happy that they had to be working in the company of a former maid.  
With a faked sigh she climbed the stairs to box five to find it empty. She went out on the balcony to look over the rest of the seating area. The seats were almost full. 'Where is he?' she thought completely unaware of a pair of eyes watching her.  
*  
Erik stood in the pillar to one side of Kaylen. One more of the many ingenious additions by Erik to the opera house, the hollow pillar had proved invaluable on more than one occasion. Erik looked on as Kaylen placed his program on the red velvet chair before leaving. When he was sure she had gone he lightly touched the secret mechanism to open the hidden panel. He took his seat opening the program to the cast of characters.  
There in cold black ink was the reward for all his hard work. He slowly traced over the words with his fingers reading them silently. ' Christine Daae.'


	8. fear of the dark Hows that!

Kaylen walked through the tunnel aware of her family ahead of her.  
"Come here to us Kaylen."  
"Papa where are you?" she called into the darkness. She fumbled through the gloom guiding herself by feeling the walls.   
"Kaylen" Her name echoed through the hollow caverns.  
"Mother!" Kaylen let go of the security of the wall and ran off into the pitch black around. She stretched her hands out in front of her searching for her family blindly.  
"Kaylen." The voices were getting softer know as they receded further and further out of her reach. She ran faster trying frantically to reach them. She stumbled and fell to the ground. She tried to get back up to resume her pursuit but her legs seemed to be glued to the ground. She reached out with her hand straining to somehow reach them." No! Papa don't leave me!" There was no answer as her cries bounced off the hollow walls. "Don't leave me!"  
*  
Kaylen awoke in a cold sweat. She hadn't had that dream in along time but it still scared her. She sat up in bed and wrapped her blankets more tightly around her and began to cry. She missed them so much.   
*   
Erik heard soft sobbing coming from farther in the corridors and decided to investigate. The sound was coming from Kaylen's room. He quickened his steps wanting to make sure that she was not in trouble. He peered into the room, hand on the secret lever that would grant him access if she was in trouble. What he found surprised him. She was sitting in her bed...crying. He had never seen her cry before. Something must have troubled her deeply to reduce her tears. " Kaylen?" He said barely over a whisper. " Why are you crying." She looked up, surprised for once, and wiped away her tears quickly. " I wasn't crying." she said softly. Erik looked at her, unbelieving, and with good reason. She had been crying, he had seen it. She had seemed so happy after the Opera earlier. He had watched from behind the walls as she found the rose he left for her. It had reminded him of the little figurine she kept by her bed and so he had thought she would have liked it. So what could have caused this sudden change in mood? "Are you sure you're all right?" He asked not wanting to leave her so sad. " No." She said shakily as more tears escaped her eyes and slid slowly down her cheeks. " Is there anything I can do?" He said, concern creeping into his voice. He looked on as she clutched the covers more tightly around her body." Could you...I mean would you... never mind."  
"What?" he asked wanting to anything that would help the girl find some peace.  
" Could you come here and...sit with me?"  
Erik stood in silence for a moment. She had seen the mask, she knew he was the phantom and yet she had given him permission to enter her room." Of course, my dear." he said hoping that he could comfort her. He touched the lever and entered the room. Again she seemed unsurprised. He care fully sat beside her draping his cape over her shaking shoulder and pulling her towards him. She sighed as she put her head on his shoulder. He rocked her back and forth as he sang to her softly. The sound of his voice seemed to sooth her so that she finally stopped shaking." Shhh It was only a dream." he said soothingly noticing fresh tears upon her face.  
*  
Kaylen could feel him breathing under her head and it seemed to calm her somewhat. She had stopped crying by now and was now just content to feel the touch of another human, a simple pleasure she had not known since her mother had died. He began to hum and slowly Kaylen's eyelids became heavy and she surrendered once again to sleep.  
*  
Erik gently lay her back on her bed. She seemed at peace now even though he could still see the glistening tell-tale trails the tears had made on her cheeks. He fought the urge to stay with her. If she woke up again he didn't want her to be alone. He ran a hand through his sparse hair in frustration and began to look around for something to focus his attention on other than the sleeping girl. He turned his head to the small nightstand beside the bed. The crystal rose lay next to its real counterpart, almost perfectly alike. He admired the crystal rose for a minute. It was very fine indeed, finer than anything in the room he noticed as he looked around. Before coming here, Kaylen obviously hadn't had much money. He studied her open closet noticing that there was only four dresses and one plain nightshirt. He would have to do something to remedy her shortage of clothes.

Erik looked in as Kaylen slowly began to awake. He had stayed with her most of the night, leaving only when he was sure she would be fine on her own and returning early in the morning to check on her.  
*   
Kaylen sat in her bed stretching and trying to shake the sleepiness out of her. She had work to do and Birdy's to-do list would only grow longer if she did not begin early. She slid off the bed and crossed to her dresser to brush her hair. Sleepily she reached down to the spot where she normally kept her brush only to find that it had been moved and two boxes stood in its place. Wondering where they had come from she became fully awake and noticed an unmarked envelope attached to the top box. With shaking fingers she opened it to reveal a note written in curious red ink.  
Dear mademoiselle Kaylen,   
I thank you for the opportunity to tutor your voice and the trust you have put in me. There have not been many people who would have willingly invited me to keep them company. I wish to express my gratitude by presenting you these gifts. Also I have left you a small sum of money to use as you see fit.   
Sincerely,  
Erik  
Kaylen carefully folded the note and replaced in the envelope only to find one-hundred francs within. ' A small sum of money indeed!' she thought as she recounted the bills to make sure she had not miscalculated. This was more than two weeks wages she sat in her chair wondering just what she was going to do with two weeks wages. She suddenly remembered the unopened boxes and sprang out of her stupor so as to discover their contents. Slowly she untied to ribbons on the first box .The memory of Christmases past filled her head as she carefully lifted the cover. The small gifts, as Erik had described them, had turned out to be one rather expensive looking dress and a cloak to match., perfectly tailored as if they had been made for her. She held up the dress first admiring the dark black material. It had been cut in the latest Parisian style with long sleeves and a sweetheart neckline. The cloak was even more magnificent. Made out of rich black velvet, it seemed to be made of midnight itself. Kaylen was sure that if she wore it at night no one would be able to distinguish her from the shadows.  
*  
Erik watched from his usual spot as Kaylen opened his gifts. She stood now running her finger delicately over the cloak he had bought her last night. Not to say that there had been any stores open that late at night but he had his ways. He had to admit that he was pleased with himself. The clothes were the finest he could find on such short notice and the fact that Kaylen seemed to like them only pleased him more. He turned to leave just in time to hear Kaylen's whispered thank you.


	9. dinner with friends oh im getting better...

Kaylen walked down the long hallway, measuring tape in hand. Today after hearing all about her from Meg, she was finally going to meet Christine if only to get her measurements for her small role in Faust. Kaylen had heard her sing that night in Hannibal and had to wonder why she would be cast in such a small part in Faust. Still the managers were known for being quite odd at times and weren't famous for knowing anything about the opera. Their place was in the office not the arts. Finally she found Christine's dressing room. She was surprised to find that it was located at the very end of a hall, hardly a appropriate place to put someone who she thought sang better than the current Primma Donna. She knocked timidly at the door not wanting to provoke one of the fits that singers were famous for. To her surprise a sweet voice answered and asked her to please come in.  
"Mademoiselle Christine?" she asked still standing halfway in the hall.  
" Yes" Christine replied with the most angelic smile Kaylen had ever seen.  
At this Kaylen seemed to ease and she soon forgot her fears.   
" I'm Kaylen. Birdy sent me to get some measurements for the Faust costume." Kaylen said as she cautiously entered the room.  
" Of course!" Christine said cheerfully putting down a book she had been reading and coming over to greet Kaylen formally.  
*  
  
Erik watched from behind the walls as Kaylen measured Christine. For him it was like having both his treasures in the same room and being able to watch them both at the same time was sheer joy for Erik (or as close to joy as Erik could get.) But if he were comparing them to treasures to him where Kaylen was a ruby, plain but not displeasing, Christine was like a beautiful diamond, perfect in every way.

*******

Kaylen fixed her hair hastily checking in the mirror for any finishing touches she would need to make. She was to meet Christine, Meg and Ashley in less than half an hour for lunch. After she had met her, Kaylen and Christine had become fast friends. Meg had been right. Christine was the nicest person Kaylen had ever met, and not in the least stuck up even though she was the under study for La Carlotta.  
She took one last look at herself in the mirror and walked out the door careful to lock it behind her. Her friends were waiting for her in brougham and soon they were at the small restaurant. Kaylen, who was never at ease in public, stayed close behind her friends as the host seated them. She was careful to follow there example, placing the napkin on her lap and minding the order in which she used her silver ware. It was here first time in a restaurant and she wanted it to be perfect. She soon began to relax when the conversation began. Meg seemed preoccupied through the whole affair, half heartedly stirring her soup around with her spoon, and never offering up any gossip. Kaylen knew Meg well enough by now to know that when she didn't gossip either she had lost her voice or something was terribly wrong. Kaylen leaned over to Ashley, knowing her better than Christine and asked what was wrong with Meg.   
" Didn't you hear? Madame Giry was fired this morning." Ashley said a little surprised that Kaylen hadn't heard.  
'Fired? Does Erik know I wonder? Surely he does. Why would they fire sweet old Madame?' Kaylen wondered as she sipped thoughtfully at her wine. Apparently the new managers had been overly distressed about having to deal with a phantom and took It out on poor Madame Giry. Kaylen looked across the table at Meg and wished she could do something or say something to cheer her up. Meg, who was usually the loud mouth of their bunch now sat skulking as if she were attending a funeral. Kaylen had to admit that it was depressing, very depressing.  
Slowly the conversation turned to other things as everyone joined in in trying to cheer Meg up. Soon they had her smiling again, though only half heartedly.  
They were about midway through their meal when a young gentlemen approached their table. Kaylen had never seen him before but he obviously knew Christine who couldn't help smiling at his approach. " Good day Christine." he said giving a slight bow "may I join you ?" When no one made an objection he gracefully pulled out a chair and seated himself. " Thank you. Christine, you must introduce me to your lovely friends." he said looking around the table and giving each girl a smile. Meg blushed gracefully at the comment and Ashley gave a slight smile. Kaylen, however was not impressed, even a shiny bottle of poison was still poison. She didn't like this man for some reason. There was something about him that was...unsettling. "Meg, Kaylen, Ashley, I would like you to meet Raoul. Raoul this is Meg, Kaylen, and Ashley." Christine said introducing them all politely by turn. Kaylen gave a quick smile not wanting to be rude.   
Raoul, was it? Meg had said something about him what was it? She sifted through all the useless information she had gathered from Meg and tried to remember something about this Raoul guy. He was Christine's suitor and heir to a fortune. He was second in line to inherit and depended on his older brother, Phillip, for the time being. Kaylen slowly left her inner thoughts and phased back to reality and the conversation. She studied Raoul for a bit. He seemed a bit nervous about something. He was rearranging the silver ware constantly, an annoying habit, and he seemed to be sweating even though the room was cool. Finally when the conversation dulled down he turned to Christine. " Christine, I know we haven't been seeing each other for a long time...but we've known each other since we were children and I would be honored if you would...that is... would you...could you... consider being my wife?" he said as he produced and opened a small black box revealing a diamond ring on red velvet. Christine looked at Raoul then at the ring and then at Raoul again. "Of course!" she said lunging at Raoul to give him a hug.   
Just then the sound of plates crashing to floor distracted Kaylen and she turned to look at the back door just in time to see a black shadow fleeing the resturant. "Please excuse me" she said using the excuse of wanting to get some fresh air after all the excitement. She walked calmly to the back door, trying her hardest to fight the urge to run instead, afraid that she might lose him in the darkness. When she finally made it out of the building the shock of sudden silence met her ears just as a cool breeze blew over her face. She began to look around and it wasn't long before the strange black figure sitting hunched in the shadows. She knew who it was but was he crying? She walked over to him slowly and laid one hand on his shoulder in an effort to calm him. "Erik?"  
*  
He couldn't believe what he had just heard. He hadn't made it a practice to follow Christine around it was just that this night he had had some kind of strange feeling of foreboding. Unable to shake it he had followed her here. Damn him! How dare he! How DARE he! He had wanted to kill Raoul when those blasphemous words left his mouth. He probably would have to but he couldn't have very well walked into a busy restaurant and committed murder, not in front of all those people, and especially not in front of Kaylen. She still didn't know what kind of monster he was and he wanted to keep it that way.  
Suddenly he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Erik?" Erik's mind slowly registered the voice as he silently cursed himself for being so careless when he had left the restaurant. He composed himself enough to stop crying, trying to gather up what was left of his pride well enough to face her. He stood up trying his best to make it appear as though nothing had happened.  
*  
Kaylen watched slightly concerned as Erik slowly rose from the ground, his back still towards her. He finally stood up and Kaylen realized how tall he was. He straightened his shoulders and let out a deep sigh before finally turning around to face Kaylen. "Good evening Kaylen." he said, greeting her in the formal way that he always did. He did his best not to look troubled, even giving her a forced, half hearted smile. She wasn't deceived though, there was something in his eyes that betrayed him. They had lost that usual shimmer that Kaylen loved so much. She found it troubled her, and she must have frowned at the thought because Erik's smile slowly faded and he turned to leave. " Erik!" she called after him. He stopped and turned to face her once again though she could tell that he wanted to leave very badly. " Erik," she said in a voice that was barely above a whisper " you can always talk to me about anything you know. Sometimes it helps to talk to someone, besides what are friends for?" Kaylen looked at Erik and decided to take pity on him and let him go. He obviously wanted to be alone. The fact that he did not try to talk to Kaylen about what was troubling him made her feel as though he didn't trust her. She looked at the ground in disappointment and sighed. "Goodnight Erik." With that she turned her back on him to rejoin her friends in the restaurant.  
*  
Christine looked around the table. Ashley and Meg were busy gossiping, their favorite past time. She smiled at as she thought about all the stories they had shared since they had known each other. She turned her gaze to Kaylen who was stirring her soup distantly. She looked as if she had something on her mind. Then her gaze turned to Raoul who sat next to her watching her with sincere affection. She gave him a shy smile and then turned away from him. She couldn't bare to look at him. Looking back she realized that the only reason she had said yes was because she couldn't bare to hurt him and say no. Raoul was a good friend and she didn't want to hurt his feelings for anything. In truth he would make a good husband. She just hoped that he didn't find out, not before she had a chance to explain. She knew her angel would be angry, she knew that he loved her and she had come to find that in truth she really did love him too. She just wasn't sure of what kind of love she felt for the mysterious man behind the mask. Anyway it was to late now. She was promised to another. She looked down at the ring on her finger. 'I hope I'm doing the right thing.'


	10. lesson? what lesson?

Erik found that he couldn't concentrate on his music anymore and pounded both fists onto the organ keys in frustration. He could not remember the last time he had been so angry. Always he had been able to calm himself with soothing music but not this time. In utter frustration he got up from the organ seat and began to pace around the drawing room like a caged beast. Only then did he notice the time on the clock on the mantle. Eight o'clock, time for Kaylen's singing lesson. " To hell with her!" He said out loud determined that nothing was going to interrupt his thoughts and his anger. It seemed that his words only made him madder and he began to pace around the room with a newfound passion. Maybe he had misheard her. Maybe Christine had really said 'no' and he had just left to fast to notice. No. He was sure of what he heard. His ears had never failed him before. He stopped pacing and sat down on his couch to cry. 'Odd how someone could go from murderously angry one moment to hopelessly sad the next.' He thought to himself as he surrendered to the tears.   
"Erik, are you all right?"  
Erik looked up in surprise to see Christine enter his house. Damn he had forgotten she would return today. Erik regained his composure, he seemed to be getting better at it through all his practice and stood up to greet Christine. "Just fine my dear." he said though nothing could be farther from the truth. She smiled and offered both her hands in greeting. Erik took them gladly, even more so when he noticed that the ring Raoul had given her was nowhere to be found on her hands. Erik smiled genuinely as he led her over to the couch. "You're early, my dear I wasn't expecting you for some time."   
" I'm sorry Erik I hope you don't mind. Maestro let rehearsals out early and since I was going to see you today anyway I decided to come a little early. I'm not to early am I? It is nearly nine." Erik looked at the clock to see that she was right. " So it is." Erik said as he suddenly felt very guilty about what he had said about Kaylen's lessons earlier. He had to see if he could find her and apologize for not showing up today. "My dear, I hope you don't mind but I have a previous appointment to attend to. I trust you will be well off here until I return?"  
" Of course Erik. Take as long as you need."  
"Thank you." Erik grabbed his cape and hat from the stand in the corner before leaving. He had to tell her he was sorry. He decided she would probably be asleep by now or at least getting ready for bed so she was probably in her room. He navigated the underground passages without even realizing until he came to where his spy hole to Kaylen's room was. He looked into the room expecting to find Kaylen in bed and finding out that he would have to come back tomorrow. Instead he found Kaylen sitting in a chair still dressed with a worried look on her face. She kept staring at the clock in the corner every few minutes. " Where is he?" Erik finally realized she was waiting for him and she had been for over an hour! He couldn't believe it!   
*  
Kaylen was growing more concerned with each passing moment. He had never been late before and an hour late seemed to be ridiculous. Kaylen's mind flashed back earlier behind the restaurant. He had seemed really upset. She could tell he wasn't telling her something.  
"Kaylen." Kaylen jumped at the sound of his voice though it would have been barely audible to anybody else, Erik's voice cut through the thick silence like a sword through butter." I am sorry I am late."  
"Never mind Erik. Are you all right you have never been late before."  
*  
He had left her waiting for over an hour and still all she could think about was his well being. The thought brought tears to his mismatched eyes. "Kaylen don't you care that I'm late." He asked, his voice still a little shaky despite his effort to calm it. " Of course I care, but more because the fact that you have never been late before and I'm worried about you. Not because I have missed my singing lesson."   
"Why would you worry about me ?"  
Kaylen gave a long sigh and ran her hand through her hair as though she were growing impatient. " Because Erik, I care for you. Believe it or not, I am your friend and I worry about you. I respect the fact that you don't want to talk about what troubled you the other night at the restaurant... I just don't like to see you so sad. "Erik didn't what to say and so he stood in silence. Kaylen let out another sigh." Don't worry about it Erik. I forgive you for being late. I am tired though, I hope you don't mind if I ask to skip tonight's lesson." She didn't seem to be expecting an answer because before he could respond she got up and walked behind her changing curtain to get ready for bed.  
*  
Erik returned to his home to find it silent. Christine had probably gone on to bed. Erik poured a brandy and sat for a while to think. So he had been wrong. Christine had not excepted Raoul's proposal after all. He was relieved and happy for once as he took another sip from his glass. Then perhaps there was a chance after all. A chance for happiness. He finished off his brandy and came to a decision. If she wasn't going to marry Raoul then maybe she had turned him down for a reason. Could it be that she loved him as much as he loved her? Erik reached into the secret drawer on his writing desk. He had had to keep it hidden before but now seemed to be the right time to reveal it to Christine. He opened the small black box to reveal the ring with in. It was a simple gold band with a diamond setting. Not as fancy as the one Raoul had given her but worth far more. Erik walked silently into Christine's room carrying the little box and a poem he had written to propose. He looked at her sleeping form laying peacefully on the bed. She was so beautiful. He wanted to put the ring somewhere where she would find it in the morning. He didn't want to propose in person lest he lose his nerve. He walked over to her dresser silently admiring all of her small treasures. He ran his hand gently over them all in turn marveling at how everything seemed to match her beauty. To him the hairpins she had hastily discarded were arranged in a beautiful pattern he could never reproduce. Almost like artwork. His fingers found next the small music box he had given her. Finally he found what he was looking for when he found the ivory handled hairbrush. He placed the box and the poem next to it careful not to make a sound. He thought it didn't look quite right and began to rearrange it when he heard a soft thud on the carpet by his feet. He reached down to pick up whatever he had knocked down. He felt the floor with his hands and found a necklace. He lifted it for inspection. He had not noticed it before. Held it in his hand and dropped it suddenly as if it were a red hot coal. He picked it up again unable to believe what he had seen dangling from the chain. He lifted it up to eye level and saw Raoul's ring winking back mockingly at him. He could not have been more hurt if Raoul was the one standing here waving it in his face. He felt like he had been slapped in the face. With a heavy heart he placed the necklace back on the table and picked up the box and poem. He had been wrong. He went back into the living room and replaced the ring to the drawer before pouring himself another glass of brandy. She had obviously been trying to hide the ring from him which was very wise of her. So she was engaged to him. Why then did she come back? Erik put one hand on the mantle for support as he watched the remains of his poem turn black and shriveled in the fire. It was all that damn boy's fault. He would make him pay. But not now, he would wait for the right time.


	11. Midnight stroll

Kaylen put the finishing touches on a servant costume. Finally, she was ahead on her work, not an easy feat when you worked for Birdy. She decided to take the rest of the day off to go for a walk. She shook the costume out and hung it in the closet before grabbing her cloak and heading out the door.   
It was beautiful in the park. The sky was blue with just a hint of purple to tell of the setting sun. She walked on the paths in silence admiring the glassy surface of the lake. For some reasons her thoughts wondered back to that night when she had first met Erik. Somehow his lake was ten times more beautiful than this. She sighed as she sat on a bench. Why did she keep thinking about him? He was her teacher and friend, nothing more. Right? The sun was setting in front of her transforming harsh day into comforting night. Slowly the stars came out to wink hello to Kaylen who answered with a smile. She had to wonder if Erik came to the park to look at the stars. Despite the late hour, a few couples still walked the paths talking and gazing at the stars. Kaylen watched them with envy. She had never had a suitor and had been the joke of the town because of it. Painful memories of schoolmates teasing her came back to her. She blinked back tears. Why had they been so mean to her? She had never done anything to them. She sighed once again as she rose to leave. It was never wise to stay anywhere alone in the dark in Paris.   
"Leaving so soon Mademoiselle?"  
Kaylen turned in surprise to see the figure of a man materialize from behind a tree. As he came closer she noticed a white mask covering half of his face. It was only Erik.  
"Monsieur, I would love to stay later, but I have no escort and the streets are not safe at night." Kaylen said with a smile.  
"Well in that case, would you care to accompany me on my stroll of the park?"  
"I would be honored." Kaylen said as she took Erik's offered arm.  
*  
Erik led Kaylen through the park with ease. He had been here many times before. They talked as they walked and Erik was amazed at how easily he could talk to her. " I love it the park at night don't you Erik?" she asked as they passed by one of the many fountains. Erik looked at her with barely concealed surprise. " Why at night? Don't you find it much more beautiful in the day?"   
Kaylen laughed lightheartedly. " No Erik, I think it is much more beautiful in the dark. I like the night for some reason. I find it...comforting." she said dreamily. " But now you must think me to be morbid. I am not truly."   
"Surely not my dear." he replied. Erik led her through much of the park that was unknown to the everyday Parisian , enjoying her love for the park at night. Only when he looked over at Kaylen in time to see a stifled yawn did he finally , and with some reluctance, deem it time to return to the opera house.  
Erik led her down the dimly lit hallway towards her room. The gaslights, those which had no already been extinguished, burned low and soft. The occupants of the opera house already asleep, Erik had no fear that he should be seen. He smiled as he found that he quite liked the feeling. His eyes being pre-accustomed to the dark he led Kaylen through the gloomy corridors with ease.   
"I trust you had a good time, my dear." he said as they finally reached her door. Even through the gloom, he could see her bright smile as she fumbled through her handbag for her key.   
"Erik, it was wonderful," she sighed "I must admit that I needed something to get my mind off of all that's been going on lately..."  
"Oh?"  
"Yes, Birdy has been working extra hard to meet the deadline, I only just got a day free today. The other usherettes have been unusually harsh to me lately, nothing I can't handle of course. Oh...and then there is poor Meg. She comes over at all hours of the night weeping. I do my best to comfort her. Poor Meg she hasn't been quite the same since Madame Giry was fired."   
Finally finding the key, she began trying to unlock the door.  
"Madam Giry was fired? On who's authority?" Erik could feel his anger rising along with his voice.  
"The managers I suppose..." Kaylen answered cautiously. "Erik are you alright?" she asked noticing the tightly balled fists that had formed at his sides.  
* * *  
"The managers? They have not right! "So enraged was he that Erik did not notice that Kaylen had taken a cautious step back. His fists were now balled up so tightly that Kaylen could see that his knuckles had turned deathly white. It seemed to her his nails must be drawing blood. "She was my employee, mine! They will pay dearly for this!" he said through clenched teeth.   
"Erik?" she said cautiously. With a trembling hand she reached out and touched the collar of his dress coat. Quicker than she could pull away, Erik's hand shot up and grabbed her little wrist. Kaylen gasped as his rage-glazed eyes turned upon her. " You! How dare you go against my wishes! Who gave you the right to fire her? Hmm?"  
"Erik!" Kaylen yelled as loud as she dared fearing he no longer recognized her. Her voice seemed to bounce off and invisible barrier that his anger had built between them and he began to shake her violently. "I warned you! I told you would happen if you didn't do everything I asked!"  
"Erik please" Kaylen sobbed as she tried to escape his iron-like grasp. "Erik, your hurting me!" Kaylen fell back on the floor as Erik suddenly released her.   
* * *  
Erik's breathing leveled off as he slowly returned to reality. He looked down at the sobbing heap of dress on the floor. He turned his head away ashamedly when he realized what he had done, taking a moment to fight back the tears that threatened to fill his eyes . She now knew him for the monster he surely was. Slowly he knelt down beside her, laying a cautious hand on her shoulder. Always she had been so strong, so fearless, and it pained Erik to see her like this , even more so because he was the cause of it.   
"I'm sorry...I..." he began but Kaylen waved a hand and motioned for him to stop. She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand and rose up to stand, brushing her dress off. It tore Erik's heart in two to see her like this, stubborn pride made her determined to be strong to the last. In this state she reminded him of a dove with a broken wing. His eyes moved to her arm and he frowned as he noticed a bruise already forming there, the result of his evil work.  
"It's alright," she said simply, "you didn't mean to." with that she turned on her heal and entered her room, leaving Erik outside to wallow in his own thoughts.  
* * *  
Kaylen let the door click shut behind her . After lighting a lamp she hung up her cloak and changed into her night gown. She sat on her bed and stared blankly at the wall for a while before slowly turning her head over to her night stand. Her eyes fell on the perfect rose Erik had left for her, still lying next to its crystal counterpart. Even now a few of the petals threatened to fall off the stem, but somehow it managed to keep its perfect shape. At the sight of it Kaylen held her head in her hands and began to cry. As she surrendered totally to her tears she thought she could just hear a soft sobbing echoing her own from the other side of the door.  
* * *  
Erik stumbled ungracefully down the length of the dark passages that led down to his lair. He felt still so ashamed of what he had done. He had wept outside of Kaylen's door for what seemed like hours and he would have stayed there if the thought of being discovered had not finally chased him away. He clumsily fought to press a stubborn lever to one of his passages. His mind was unfocused, already he had almost triggered more than one of his secret traps. He cursed him self aloud for his clumsiness, and then once more silently for his lack of stealth.   
Finally the secret door swung open and he found himself facing the lake. He climbed into the boat and almost without noticing began rowing to the other end of the lake.   
It was over....the friendship he had held so dear was gone. Torn asunder by a few seconds of blind rage... temper he could have should have controlled. He winced as he thought about how she must see him now: uncivilized, uncouth, ...monster...He felt the sting of tears threaten his eyes again and he rowed more quickly in an effort to stop thinking of them...as if he just concentrated on something, one simple task, hard enough he could erase the memory of what had just happened if only for a little while.   
Finally he reached the opposite side of the lake. He tied the boat off deftly and then went to open the door to his house. He walked over to the brandy pitcher and served himself glass after glass until his wits dulled and he felt a fuzzy sense of peace. He would make it up to Kaylen somehow...he only hoped she could find it in her heart to forgive him....


	12. Drama! Drama! and lookmore Drama!

Kaylen awoke the next morning and quickly got dressed. Today was a day like any other despite the events of the night before. The world continued around her, it didn't stop because of her problems, and Kaylen never expected it to. Birdy would still expect her to be at her sewing machine in a hour. Meg and Ashley would still expect to see her at rehearsals. There were people who depended on her... and those who refused to.  
She wiped away a tear as she brushed out her hair and remembered the night before. It had all started out so pleasant. She could remember the stars in the clear night sky. It had been perfect until...  
Kaylen gathered what she would need for a day of work and started out the door. If she hadn't have looked down at just that moment she would have missed it...or crushed it. On the ground lay a single white rose like a lost child in a desert. Attached, a single piece of parchment with torn edges, as if it had been ripped from a larger sheet, not without care. Kaylen picked up the rose and held the card with a trembling hand to read the message. There.. in the same curious blood red ink were the words: Forgive me.  
* * *  
Erik strode through his passages, thinking. Christine knew what kind of monster he was. She loathed him so much as to go against his wishes, seeing Raoul outside the opera house and then, as if she meant to kill him, accepting the proposal from that boy. And yet...since that night he had first discovered the ring he had not seen it since. Christine no longer wore a chain around her neck nor a ring on her finger. Perhaps she had called it off. Perhaps she did not love him after all. Whether or not she did, Erik still loved her. and he had proved it tonight by replacing Carlotta with Christine.  
Erik chuckled as he remembered the sight of Carlotta screaming and running off stage. The sight was almost to sweet for human eyes. He had snuck backstage to see the distraught Carlotta. Painted whore that she was, her gaudy stage makeup had run down her face with her tears, giving her the appearance of an oversized oil painting that had been left out in the rain. He had laughed out loud and she had run away screaming hysterically.  
That was when he saw them, running up to the roof together. They honestly thought they could escape him there. Hah! He was heading there right now. Erik took his time navigating up to the roof... he could afford to. No matter how fast they ran they wouldn't reach the roof before him, he was sure of that.   
He reached the roof with time to spare and climbed the statue of Apollo giving him a vantage point over the whole roof. The winds would carry up any stray conversation that his keen hearing might miss otherwise. It was perfect. Suddenly the silence of the night was broken by two sets of hurried footsteps. Erik crouched low against the statue and waited.  
* * *  
Christine led Raoul up the final flight of stairs into the cold Paris night. The picturesque scene of the Parisian skyline seemed ignorant to the tortures that where going on inside the opera house. Indeed she envied its innocence to the tragedy around her. With every few steps and a cautious backward glance she expected to see a flash of white mask or a swirl of black cloak.   
She found her hands had begun to shake when they finally stopped to rest. Seeing her trembling hands Raoul reached out to clasp them in his. Christine started at the sudden contact, but was grateful for it.  
"What's wrong? You're shaking. Why did you insist on us coming up here?"  
Christine looked around nervously before answering, and even then kept her voice down to a hushed whisper. " I don't want him to hear."  
Raoul's comforting smile faded and Christine was the worse for it. He stood up abruptly and threw his hands in the air. "Oh God Christine, not this again." Raoul reached down and put both hands on her shoulders. "He does not exist," he said slowly and firmly "He's a myth, a tale your father made up so that you would practice your scales."   
Christine shook her head slowly and Raoul threw his hands up again and turned his back on her rubbing his temples.  
"I've seen him." Christine said with so much conviction Raoul was forced to look back at her. " I know he exists. I heard his voice. I felt his touch...cold as death." Raoul gave her a look of pity and sat down beside her, putting and arm around her, as if trying to comfort an upset child. Christine pushed him away and stared at him. "Do you think me mad?! I've seen him! I've been there...to his house in the night. Raoul...I've seen his face... If such a thing deserves to be called a face. Never have I seen something so disfigured and malformed...and I hope I will never have to again." Christine lost all control and started sobbing uncontrollably. Raoul wrapped his arms around her and let her cry on his chest until she regained her composure. He cupped her chin in one hand and forced her to look up at him, whipping away tears with his other hand. "Shhh...yes I believe you love...I didn't at first, but I believe you now." He traced the outline of her face tenderly and leaned in to plant a soft kiss on her lips.  
* * *  
Erik clutched at his heart with his hand. He had trouble breathing as he looked down on the two lovers. If Christine's words about him had been a slap in the face, the kiss had been like a stab through the heart.  
His mind clouded and he envisioned his love with a blooded knife in her hand smiling over him as he lay on the ground dieing. He looked up at her with a pleading look and she laughed.  
"...Christine....why..." he said in a husky whisper.   
* * *  
Christine pulled away from the kiss suddenly and looked around nervously. "He's here...."she whispered to herself as she stared blankly into the darkness that surrounded them. "Oh my God, Raoul, he's here!" Christine jumped up and clutched Raouls dress jacket pulling with all her might. "We can't stay here! It isn't safe! Oh I was a fool, a fool! I can't escape him! I should now that by now. "   
Raoul followed her to the door leading into the opera house and stopped abruptly grabbing both her shoulders in his hands and forcing her to look at him. "Yes you can, you can escape him. Listen to me...come with me...now...this very minute. I have a place...in London...we would have everything we needed. We've already arranged to get married...we'll just do it ahead of schedule.."  
Christine shook her head slowly. "I couldn't do that...I have to finish the opera..." She stopped short and took another cautious look around before dropping her voice down to a whisper. "Tonight after the show..."   
Raoul nodded and wrapped an arm around her to lead her back inside. Christine looked back over his arm into the darkness with a worried look before disappearing with Raoul.

***********

Erik stood by the edge of the roof looking up at the stars with tearless eyes. The time for crying had passed. Now was the time to act. Christine had excepted Raoul's proposal. They were going to leave tonight without even a word of goodbye. 

With a sigh Erik reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a a rose that he had planned to gice to Christine after the performance. He raised it up to his face and closed his eyes, cherishing the sweet aroma and the delicate touch of the rose petals against the uncovered part of his face. Suddenly his eyes snapped open and he held the rose over the edge of the roof, watching with cold detachment as the petals threatened to fly off with the cold Paris wind.   
He had been waiting for the right time and this was it. Now he would have his revenge on that boy one way or another.   
With a cold heart he opened his fist and let the rose fall down to the street below.  
* * *  
Kaylen sat on her bed and thought. After what had happened tonight all the usherettes had scattered and Kaylen, with no where else to go, had gone back to her room to think. She knew who was responsible, everyone said that this was the phantom's evil work. 'But how could Erik do such a thing?' she had to wonder. As if in subconscious reminder she touched the bruise at her wrist. She had never thought that he was capable of that either.  
A knock at the door interrupted her train of thought an made her jump. "Yes?" she said shakily despite her effort to calm down.   
"Your assistance is needed mademoiselle. They are continuing the opera," A voice called out muffled by the door "God knows why..." she heard them mumble before continuing "and all usherettes have been called back to duty."  
"Yes. I see. Thank you monsieur." Kaylen heard the footsteps recede down the hall. She got up and checked her image in the mirror. Finally satisfied with her appearance she opened the door and was about to step out when she heard a soft thud on the carpet behind her. Slowly she turned around to see what had fallen. Her heart beat faster as she saw her crystal rose lying on the floor, chipped. The rose had been in the middle of the nightstand. Kaylen had always made a point of that. How then did it fall to the floor? A fallen rose. The analogy somehow disturbed her and she crossed herself instinctively before returning the rose to the nightstand and leaving.  
Outside, trampled unseen underfoot, lay Erik's rose, a live counter part to the crystal. A single petal was swept away by the wind into the cold Parisian night.


	13. Things begin to heat up! oooOOooo'wince'...

To Christine's horror the little bells began to ring again with a frantic might. Erik, who had been smiling through the window at Raoul an his own handiwork, jerked his head up as if in alarm. He obviously had not been expecting any more "guests".   
With a cold smile he pressed his hands spider-like against the glass and peered in on the frantic Raoul. Already he was stumbling, trying to keep his balance in Erik's inferno of heat and mirrors. "Did you plan ahead good sir? How very much out of character for you. Bring one of your aristocrat friends along with you? I hope for your sake that he has a better aim than you." Erik smiled as Raoul struggled to walk toward the sound of his voice, probably the only thing he had left to grasp in his delirium. "What?.." he said weakly, his eyes searching what to him appeared to be a mirror.  
But Erik had already turned away from the miserable sight of Raoul and was heading toward the front door. "Erik please..." Christine reached out for his arm as he passed by but let go when she saw his flinch of pain. "Oh Erik , I'm sorry, you're arm, I'd forgotten..." Erik looked down on her with eyes full of venom. "You liar! You did that on purpose you little whore! You just don't know the meaning of fair play do you Christine?" He had spit the words out so hatefully that Christine winced and now stammered for a reply. Erik was not pleased. "Stop sniffling like a child you little brat! What is it you want? Speak!"  
"Oh Erik It's just that..." without realizing what she meant to do she reached out and clasped Erik's hand in her own and pressed her forehead to it. "Erik, it's just that so many people have already been hurt tonight. Please, whoever this is, don't harm them, for, my sake." Quickly he pulled his hand away as if that simple touch which would have granted him pleasure only days before, burned like the flames of hell. The look in her eyes was even more painful to him, but he had come to far, he had done so much already, his convictions were too strong. He would not be led astray by this lying harlot. With narrowed eyes he bent close to her face, just enough to scare her. " If you think I do anything for your sake any longer you are terribly mistaken." He said through clenched teeth. With a growl of frustration he turned away to go through the front door and slam it behind him.  
*****  
As Kaylen made her way down the shore line she realized with a shock that she had no plan whatsoever. Even if she could find the hidden door, which she doubted, she had no way of opening it. It seemed that everything Erik made had a strange alteration to it that no other human might put in their inventions. A secret opening here, a trap there, special ways to turn keys that would have left anyone else rolling on the floor in pure frustration, and still they would never figure out how to run any of it.  
Headstrong as usual Kaylen made her way to where she thought the door was. "I'll knock on the wall until he lets me in if I have to!" she thought. The air around her seemed to grow colder with every step she took and she pulled the cloak more tightly around herm lowering the hood to just above her eyes. She had the small lantern still and she held it about eye level. If he did come out she wanted Erik to see it was her. She was sure that he wouldn't harm her if he knew who it was.   
Just then, she heard the sound of a door slamming behind her. Or was it in front of her. Deciding the best thing to do was to stand still she raised the little lantern above her head in hopes of seeing someone or something but the light was dying. The wick on the lantern had already burnt low from being used often, but now as she stared at it, the strong flame began to grew sickly and finally burned out in a tiny puff of smoke.   
******  
Erik watched the light disappear with a smile . He was only too glad to have that flame put out. Even though this fool, whoever it was, had his back toward him, capturing him in the light would have proven difficult. But this was perfect! The light had been there just long enough to show Erik exactly where his victim stood.  
*****  
Kaylen tried to control her breathing, hoping that in doing so she could avoid anyone who was out there, but despite her efforts, her breathing became short gasps of panic.   
And she knew someone was here. She could hear the crunch of gravel under their feet. But the cavernous echo made it impossible to tell from which side they where coming from. Suddenly all sound stopped, and Kaylen stood there feeling utterly alone. If it were not for the fact that her feet actually touched something solid, she might have imagined herself floating in space, the only living thing in a void of nothingness.   
Suddenly she felt the pressure of an arm around her waist and a hand clamped over her mouth. She made to scream but any sound she made was muffled by that hand. She kicked wildly in vain, trying to escape, twisted and writhed to try to get out of his arms. "Stop it! You won't get away I assure you, monsieur, and you're luck I've not ended your life yet!" He was right of course. Hopelessness swept like a calming wave over her and she stopped struggling, allowing herself to be hauled backwards along the shore.  
****  
Erik held the dead weight of the man in his arms while he struggled to open the door. The man had not moved on his own since Erik had yelled at him, and he was silent now without having to be gagged. Whatever else this man was, he was not stupid, he knew to take the threats of a known murderer seriously.  
The lock clicked twice and Erik pushed open the heavy door to see Christine where he had left her sitting on the couch staring through the window at Raoul . The boy's condition had decreased significantly and Erik, impatient to see the Raoul's suffering, threw the man in a heap by the couch before moving over to stand in front of the mirror again. The glass was now so hot that he could fell the heat through this mask though he stood more that a foot away from it.   
A rustling of cloth behind him told him that the man had stood up but Erik made no move to turn around. Hopefully the young man would not be foolish enough to attack him from behind, but if he did Erik knew that he could kill him in a matter of seconds. He thought about this even as he ran his thumb over the fine wire of the Punjab lasso still concealed beneath his cloak.  
******  
Kaylen stood up slowly and surveyed the room around her. Christine lay terrified on the couch starring oat Erik through glass eyes. Kaylen followed her line of gaze to Erik and then past him to see through the window .   
Raoul lay on the ground. She could see that even though he lay where the air might be cooler, he was suffering through excruciating pain and heat. Her hand went automatically to her mouth and her eyes filled with pity for the young vicomte  
****  
"Oh my God, Erik, what have you done?"  
Erik winced visibly. He knew that vice. And as he heard it, that sweet, loving, trusting, voice, all his convictions, which had held strong even in the face of Christine's pleading eyes, tumbled away from him. He turned to face her very slowly, knowing even before it happened how her sharp stare would stab him through the heart. She had been the only one in the whole world it seemed that had not viewed him as a monster, deciding on her own that he was human. Erik had loved having her trust, fed on it, kept it as an amulet to hold dear to his heart when things where not going so well, until the day Christine had turned away from him and he had tossed it away as if it had meant nothing to him.   
Her eyes told him what he meant to her now. Inhuman, freak, monster. Suddenly he began to falter and stumble, much like Raoul in the next room. He wanted to apologize for forsaking their friendship. He tried to make his way towards her and almost tripped on a rug but Kaylen was there in a moment, placing her hands on his shoulders and preventing him from falling.   
"Kaylen...I..."  
She helped him to the couch where he sat, unaware of the cringing Christine sitting only a few feet away. "You don't have to make excuses, Erik. I know what you have done. But Erik please, it's time to end this. So many people have been hurt already." Her voice sounded familiar and slowly melded into Christine's voice in his head. 'Erik, its just that so many people have already been hurt tonight.'   
He slowly raised his head to face Kaylen, his face full of slow recognition. "You're on their side." he whispered.  
"What? What are you talking about Erik?...Erik please let Raoul go."  
"No!" he said jumping off the couch so that he towered over her once more. "No compassion! No pity! No mercy. My dear, my heart has been stabbed some many times in my lifetime that I fear it has been turned to stone. My plan goes on around us and sorry to inform Kaylen, but you must stay here until it's come to an end...for better or worse."  
"I'm a prisoner? You're holding me hostage, Erik?"  
"Prisoner? Never. Hostage? Such a vulgar word. No my dear, you're merely my guest. And as my guest it is only proper that you have a front row seat at our entertainment tonight." Erik guided her down to the couch where he had been sitting a moment ago. "Only the best for my guests. I have so few, you see, that every detail counts. Now Christine, you've been indecisive for so long, why don't you make your decision. Come, come now my dear how much longer do you think that poor boy has in there? Hours, minutes,...seconds. Perhaps he's already dead, I haven't seen him move in quite a while."   
Erik turned to see that in fact he lay perfectly still, face down in the sand, but then, as if he had heard Erik's words he lifted his head and raised a pleading hand toward the window. Erik would have cursed, had there not been ladies present, to see that Raoul, even in his pathetically weakened state still defied him. "Well, perhaps not dead yet." he said with sarcastic regret. "But how long will you let him suffer? Make your decision!"  
Christine sat silent for a moment, her face finally calm even under Erik's hard stare. "Let him go Erik. I'll stay here with you, just let him go." Kaylen looked at Christine in surprise and then to Erik She felt out of place here and very helpless. She could not help Christine, she couldn't help Erik either now. Something she had said had angered him. Something maybe beyond repair. And she wondered now as Erik flipped the switch that turned off the heating lamps in the next room, if she wanted their friendship back.  
She felt Christine's little hand on her own and she turned to face her. "His right arm, he's been shot." she whispered to Kaylen before standing up to walk to Erik. He had been shot, fine, but why tell her? Did Christine hope to escape still? Did she have a plan?  
Kaylen sat entranced, watching the scene as if it where some play. Erik opened the door to the chamber and dragged Raoul out. He had taken off his dress coat, vest, and rolled up his shirt sleeves to escape the heat but he would not, in gentleman-like modesty, take off his shirt. The cool air seemed to do him good and he opened his eyes to see Christine staring over him. Erik left the room and returned with a small glass of water, which Raoul drank slowly. "When you are able to walk well enough, I will take you back up to the streets. Christine has agreed to stay with me here. She saved your life, boy. " Raoul looked at Christine horrified eve as she stood to stand by Erik. "I'm letting you leave this time but I promise you, should you ever come back, I will kill you."  
Christine waved her hand to get Kaylen's attention. Erik did not notice, he was still glaring down at Raoul. Christine's eyes went from Erik to the open torture chamber. Christine rubbed her right arm as if in reminder and Kaylen understood.   
What happened next happened in the blink of an eye. Kaylen was up from the couch and running towards Erik He looked up in surprise but too late. Kaylen grabbed his right arm where he had been shot and used his pain to push him into the torture chamber. She shut the door behind him locking him into his own trap. She leaned against the door for a moment before sliding down to sit in front of it in shock at what she had done, and closed her eyes against Erik's yells of fury. It had had to be done. She watched indifferently as Christine found the secret switch that closed the paneling on the window. She heard noises just then, not Erik's yell, but a muffled sound, like a hundred people talking all at once on the other side of the door. Christine was trying to get Kaylen to stand but she sat there, refusing to move.  
***  
Erik stood banging on the paneling. Christine's voice came to him over the sound of his own. "Kaylen , they've come for him. It's a mob Kaylen, they're ready to kill." They were going to lead them in here. Fine. He was ready for a fight. His arm hurt sorely now, but he believed he still had the strength. The room where he stood was dark now, but that could work to his advantage. His victims would be framed in light when they opened the door. He envisioned them falling one by one and then against his will he imagined them finally overpowering him and beating him to death. He heard his front door open and steps receding. Silence. And then many feet entering his house. He bared his teeth in outrage as he heard them destroying his belongings.  
"Where is he?" he heard them shout. "Kaylen , you where here with them when it happened where is he?" Erik waited in tense silence for Kaylen to betray him. To show them the secret lever and condemn him to death.   
"He's gone. He ran after Christine and Raoul. He's up there, in the streets."  
"We saw Christine and Raoul. He wasn't following them."  
"He's the Opera Ghost! He has secret ways! Hurry, go find him before he gets away."   
Erik heard many steps leaving with cries for vengeance. It surprised him that such a seemingly gentle group of opera workers and actors could make such a convincing mob, but then again, maybe they where just acting.  
"What about you, Kaylen?" Erik recognized the voice as being Meg's.  
"My ankle is bothering me again. I think I'll stay here for a while until it stops hurting."  
"But what if he comes back?" He recognized Ashley's voice clearly enough.   
"I doubt he will. I don't think he'll stop until he finds Christine."  
"Or until they find him!" Meg's words made him flinch. It seemed she actually wished for his death.   
"Well take this then."  
"Meg, a gun? I can't use this!"  
"Sure you can. I'll show you." Erik heard the familiar loading, cocking, and un-cocking of the gun. He heard Kaylen say goodbye to her friends who left reluctantly enough, and he waited for what seemed like an eternity for Kaylen to open the door, but she never came. It was him , the darkness and the silence all around him.  
"Erik they're gone now. Erik I'm going to let you out now."  
Erik heard the click of the latch as the door unlocked. A vertical line of light appeared in the darkness and continued to widen. As his eyes adjusted, he could finally make out the shape of Kaylen framed in candlelight. She had a worried look on her face as if she where about to fee a wild creature and wasn't sure whether it would attack her or leave to find some other prey. Her stance with hands shyly behind her back betrayed her fear. "Erik, don't be angry."  
Erik laughed what else could he do?


	14. Oh Erik, now you're just being mean!

"Angry? Why should I be?" Kaylen relaxed visibly at his words. "I mean all you did was ruin my plan and my life. She would have stayed with me, Kaylen. She would have stayed here with me until I died. Do you know what that meant to me? Do you!" His voice broke down into sobs.  
"She wouldn't have stayed Erik. She planned it this way." Kaylen said calmly.   
"You lie!" he shouted and threw his hands down to his sides. " She would have stayed with me if it wasn't for you!" He advanced on her, arms outstretched as if he meant to strangle her. Kaylen pulled the gun out from behind her back and aimed for Erik. He stopped short, half from his instinctive fear of the gun, but more from the shock that Kaylen would actually point a gun at him.  
He heard the double click as she cocked it and held it squarely on him. She meant to do it, and he had half a mind to let her. "Go ahead." he said in quiet challenge. "Shoot me. You might as well. What do I have left to live for?" Kaylen seemed unsure of what to do. She obviously had not been expecting this. Erik took a step forward "SHOOT ME!" The gun began to shake in her hand. "Erik," she said, "I'm sorry." Erik closed his eyes waiting for the bullet that would end his life and all his pain but it never came.   
When he opened his eyes again he saw that Kaylen had turned her back on him. She stood now, the hand with the gun limp at her side, her other arm hugging herself tightly. Her head was bent and her shoulders shook visibly from her sobs. After all she had done to him, she didn't have enough mercy to kill him.   
He slowly made his way to her, not wanting to spook her and have her accidentally shoot him. He only wanted a fatal shot, not another shot to the arm. Even when she heard him behind her she made no move to shoot him. He moved past her, she no longer mattered, Christine was all that mattered now.  
He found his gloves and put them on. The Punjab lasso was in his hand still and he tested it now for strength by tugging on it from opposite ends before making his way toward the door.  
"Erik!" He looked back to see Kaylen looking like a very lost child. "Where are you going Erik?" She looked so weak and out of place here. After all she had done to him he hated her. He could kill her now if he wanted to . Just a flick of his wrist and she would be motionless on the floor. She was weak. She wouldn't even put up a fight. He stood there considering it. "Your not worth the effort." he said out loud before turning to leave.  
"They're gone Erik. You won't catch them. You won't even find them."  
"But you know where they're at don't you?" He turned back on Kaylen. "Tell me!"  
" I don't know. I'm sorry Erik, she's gone."  
Erik let out a cry of anger like a wounded animal and sat down heavily where the couch usually was only to fall flatly on the floor. For the first time he saw what they had done to his house. All around him his furniture lay in ruins. Books where strewn across the floor as if they where rubbish, and many had been thrown into the fire. The keys on the organ had been pounded in and the glass on his mother's small portrait, the only picture in his house, had been smashed.  
He sat on the floor and choked on his tears. Just think of what they had done to his music. His opera and life's work, Don Juan Triumphant. He envisioned them finding the music sheet marked in red ink and throwing them into the fire. The fire in his vision licked and swallowed the pages, curling the blackened edges until it was just a ball of charred paper. The flames danced happily, mocking him, laughing at his pain. He felt a hand on his shoulder but he didn't even bother to turn around. "I couldn't have stopped them Erik." He waited for the sorry but it never came. He assumed that she thought she had said it enough. What good would it do anyway? It wouldn't bring her back. Silently he shook her hand away, walked into his room and shut the door behind him.

********

Kaylen worked all night to clean up what remained of Erik's belongings. She cried as she did it. they had destroyed so much. So many of his beautiful exotic things. So she wept and cleaned. The books she stacked neatly where she remembered Erik had always liked having his books. She swept up what she could of the ashes from the fireplace and dusted the mantle. The books in that had been burned in the fireplace, she placed in a neat pile beside it, not sure if Erik would have wanted to keep them or not. Within minutes she had a new fire going. The flames warmed her and she sat in front of it, her arms wrapped tightly around her. Her eyes wandered towards Erik's door and she wondered if he would ever come out. In his position, she wasn't sure if she would have come out either.   
*  
Erik came out of his room and found Kaylen curled in front of a dieing fire like the dog she was. She looked so peaceful in her sleep almost like she was dead. He hoped she was. He hated her. He looked away and saw what she had down to clean his house. He supposed that it was her way of asking for forgiveness. She wouldn't get that from him that easily. "Erik." He turned to see her sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "I've made breakfast already, it's on the table."   
  
"I'm not hungry." Erik said as he turned to retreat back to his room.  
"Erik you have to eat."   
"Oh?" he turned to look at her, his arms crossed, "and why is that."  
"Erik just because she's gone doesn't mean your live is over! Your still alive aren't you?"  
"You don't know how wrong you are my dear. However, you still didn't answer my question."  
"Fine don't eat." Kaylen turned to go into Christine's room. Erik ran after her. "What do you think you are doing!"   
"I want to give you something." Kaylen reached between Christine's mattresses despite Erik's horrified look. She pulled out sheets of music including the manuscript for Don Juan Triumphant. He reached out for them, but she was faster and she pulled them away just out of his reach. "A favor for a favor, Erik. Eat your breakfast like a good little boy and I'll give you your music. Like it or not, I'm still your friend and I won't see you waste away to nothing on account of one failed romance."   
He glared at her through the mask with his arms crossed at his chest. She had outdone him. Fine he'd play along just this once. "Alright." He turned on his heel and made for the kitchen.  
Kaylen walked in to find Erik seated at the table over his breakfast. She stood over him until he had finished every bite. He seemed uncomfortable at having her watching him eat, he kept eyeing her as he drank his water. But she wouldn't leave, not even when he gave her dirty looks between mouthfuls of sweet bread. Finally he was done and Kaylen slid the music sheets across the table to him. "I'll be back Erik. I have to go back up, Ashley and Meg are expecting me, I just hope they haven't come to check up on me yet. I'll be back. Keep in mind that I still have a few of your precious things hidden as incentive to let me back in the house."  
Erik smirked, but that soon gave way to a frown. "I hate you." He whispered without emotion. Kaylen sighed heavily. "I know."   
  
Kaylen made her way to her room. The halls where still dark and she had no trouble getting into her room undetected. Everything was as she had left it, but without life. Her room seemed alien to her now. She would have to keep it for now though to keep up appearances. She didn't plan to spend most of her time here now though. Erik needed her, even if he couldn't admit, even if he did hate her. No time for regrets now. She had done what she had thought to be right at the time, and anyway she had errands to run.  
*  
"Erik, let me in." Erik opened the door to Kaylen carrying bags of supplies. Food and other things he would need, but she knew he would never go out and get on his own now. It was more than she could carry and she struggled to get them all to the kitchen, unaware of Erik watching her coldly amused. She emptied the bags, placing everything carefully out on the table, always aware of her shadow Erik watching her with crossed arms from the doorway. Without a word to him she crossed the kitchen and began to pile wood into the stove. Dusting off her hands, she turned to the doorway to see Erik still watching her. No matter. She would not be intimidated, she was stronger than him she had proved that before and she would again.  
She continued to make dinner aware that Erik never left the kitchen. She turned to face him. "Erik I'm not going to poison you."  
"Pity."  
"Why don't you go sit down somewhere, work on your music or something."  
Erik shrugged and walked into the other room.  
******  
From then on Kaylen became the mother of a heartsick Opera Ghost. Everything was a chore, even getting Erik to eat proved difficult. Only by bribes could she get him to do what she wanted.   
That night, after dinner, she sat on the couch examining the portrait of Erik's other. She turned it over in her hand. The glass had been completely smashed but had not damaged the portrait as far as she could tell. Erik sat in the chair beside the fire eyeing her suspiciously. If he thought she was going to do something to damage the small portrait he made no move to stop her. He seemed more curious than anything.   
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small rectangle of glass. She had taken the measurements earlier and stopped by the glaciers on her way back from shopping. Carefully, she slid the little cardboard backing out of the gold frame. She took out the portrait of Erik's mother and laid it face up on her lap. The shattered glass, she poured out into her hand , careful that one cut her. The rectangle of glass fit perfectly and she put the frame back together. She turned it over in her hand and Erik's mother smiled at her, she smiled back. She got up and replace the portrait to where it belonged, on the mantle above the fireplace. Her skirts brushed Erik as she passed him and he flinched. She still had the broken glass in her hand and she brushed it into the waste basket in the kitchen. A piece of glass nicked her and she winced. The cut on her finger bled and she put it in her mouth to stop the bleeding before going back into the drawing room to sit back on the couch.   
Erik eyed her as she came back in. "What are you doing?"  
"I cut my finger."  
"Don't do that." Erik walked out of the room and reentered carrying a bandage. He knelt beside her and took her hand.   
"I thought you hated me." she said eyeing the top of his head as he wrapped her finger.  
"I do. A favor for a favor." he said and he turned his head to indicate his mother's portrait on the mantle.


	15. Kaylen's decision

From then on things weren't so bad. Erik, as he had said, hated her. She didn't doubt that. But somehow, after he had bandaged her finger he seemed to forgive her, if only a small bit. She would often sit by the fire with him. Not that he invited her over to sit with him you see, but she would find Erik sitting alone in his favorite chair and would sit on the floor in front of him. He never asked her to go away, so she took those moments for moments of mutual acceptance, if not friendship.   
Sometimes he would play his violin. Always the sad songs, but Kaylen had always loved the sad songs and she would sit on the black couch and listen with eyes half closed imagining images to go along with the music, or else just watching Erik's profile against the fire through slit eyes. He insisted that the fire was the only light in the main room now. The candles sat unused on the candelabras, and every time Kaylen tried to light them Erik would follow right behind her blowing them out. The organ was gathering dust in the corner. Once she had tried to dust it, but it seemed to make Erik angry so she hadn't touched it again. It seemed pointless to her to have such a fine instrument and not even use it. She wondered if the dust on the keys would ruin it. But the violin was not such a terrible instrument, unless Erik wanted it to be. At times he could play the sweetest lullaby on the high E string. Those where beautiful and Kaylen often found herself dozing to them. At other times, however, Erik could call forth violent, raw notes from the lower G string. Those where terrible and many times frightening, but Kaylen enjoyed those all the more.  
As time went on, her days began to develop a pattern. She would cook and clean for him during the day and sit and watch him at night. She never knew if he had the courage to take his life, but she thought it safer to watch him just in case. Of course she had to keep up appearances at the opera house with her friends and employers. Often she would go up to the upper levels and get an assignment from Birdy, which she would work on at Erik's house, or go out to dinner with her friends so that they knew that she had not forgotten them. Every time she returned, she feared that Erik would not let her in. He had no reason to, love was not there, nor friendship, and she had long ago run out of things to bargain with. But every night she returned and he would open the door with weary acceptance, whether out of habit or resignation she didn't know. Maybe he was counting on her to keep him alive.  
She came home one night and Erik opened the door for her as usual. He seemed a little more friendly than usual, even helping her bring the groceries to the kitchen. She thought it unusual but didn't say anything, she didn't want to seem ungrateful and besides she never could tell what would upset him nowadays.  
She fixed dinner as usual and walked into the main room, wiping her hands on a clean dish towel.  
"Erik dinners done."  
He didn't answer her and she found him sitting in his favorite chair with his eyes closed. She sat in front of him as she had done so many times thinking that he would get up and eat when he got hungry. She thought she could just hear over the roar of the fire Erik snoring gently and she turned to look at his face.  
His mask glowed orange in the firelight and his mouth was relaxed. He was asleep. Her eyes moved to the table and she found the violin he had been playing earlier. Black lacquer, his favorite instrument besides the great organ but then he had not played that in over a month. Firelight bounced off of a glass near Erik's limp hand and she focused her eyes on what turned out to be a half empty decanter of brandy.  
She gave him a look of sympathy and sighed, "Oh, Erik."  
He snored loudly in reply.  
"Come, lets get you to bed." She bent down and tried to lift Erik up. He said something that she couldn't understand, but seemed to be trying to get to his feet. She didn't think that he should sleep in his coffin-bed in his condition so she moved him over to the couch. Not to far away. She wasn't sure if she could have made it all the way to his room anyway.  
She dropped him on the couch and he seemed to wake up.  
"Christine?" he said looking up at Kaylen. His eyes where full of tears and he raised his hand to run his fingers through her hair. She could smell the liquor on his breath. Kaylen took his hands in hers before he could reach her hair and curled his fingers down to touch his palm.. "No Erik, it's me, Kaylen." He seemed to lose the hope in his voice and dropped his head back against the couch pillows. "Oh, yes, of course."  
"Oh Erik, why did you have to go and do that for. Honestly, you're going to turn into a hopeless drunk." Erik laughed.  
Kaylen smiled, he couldn't hate her when he was drunk, or so she hoped. She got up and covered him with a blanket.  
"Better sleep it off. I don't envy the headache you'll have tomorrow. Goodnight, Erik." She turned to leave, but Erik caught her arm.  
"Kaylen."  
She turned around and kneeled next to him. "Yes Erik."  
"You know when you think you have something and then it's gone? Like a flower that you see in the summer and miss in the winter. Or when you love something so much that when it leaves you can't go on? Or when something comes into your life and it seems like its the best thing that ever happened to you?"  
Kaylen looked down on him with sympathy. His words where slurred and she thought that he couldn't possibly know what he was saying. "Erik get some rest, it will be clear in the morning." And she turned to leave again, but Erik reached out and grabbed her hand. "Listen to me!" He wiped his free hand over his masked face. He turned his face away from Kaylen and was silent. It seemed to her that he was crying and she sat down beside the couch still holding his hand. She laid her head on his hand and soon began to doze. She thought she heard him talking to her but then maybe it was just a dream.  
  
Kaylen woke to find herself laying on the couch with the blanket she had used to cover Erik over her. She thought it had all been a dream, but then she looked over and saw the half-empty decanter.  
Erik sat staring into the fire cold as ever. It seemed that last night had never happened. He had never spoken a soft word in his life as he ignored Kaylen for the flames in the fireplace. She knew she should get up and start on the chores that Erik wouldn't do, but she felt very weary suddenly and she turned away from Erik to face the back of the couch. This was worst than caring for a cripple, at least they had a will to live. Erik had nothing, no emotion, no cares, no love left. It was her fault. She had tried though hadn't she? Tried to rebuild what she had destroyed. It wasn't working though. It wasn't working and it wasn't worth it. She sighed and made her decision. She got up and cleaned and cooked for the last time.   
That night she scribbled a note to Erik and left him what she could of the money she had save, since she wasn't sure how much money he had saved from his monthly salary.  
She lit a candle and walked into Erik's room. He looked so peaceful in his coffin surrounded by the red lace curtains. She had been in his room so many times that his coffin looked like a regular bed to her. He had taken his mask off to sleep more comfortably and Kaylen looked at his bare face with indifference. She wouldn't have wanted to say goodbye to a mask anyway. She brushed a loose strand of hair from his eyes and wondered what he had been trying to tell her the other night. Maybe he had just been rambling on.  
With a sigh, she blew out the candle and made her way back up to her room to pack her bags.   
It seemed pointless to say goodbye to her friends since they would only try to make her stay. Instead, she left notes for them saying she would write and send an address where they could reach her as soon as she found a place. The arrangements had already been made and she walked out to the curb with her few belongings to meet the cab that waited for her.  
It was dark and cold in Paris that night and the driver had pulled the hood to his cloak down low over his face and huddled against the cab. When he saw her he took her bags and heave them to the top of the cab with ease. The icy wind blew her hair to one side and she took her last look at the opera house. She hoped he could go on without her. She just couldn't do anything for him anymore.  
She heard a click and turned to see that the driver had opened the door for her. The horses pawed the cold ground and tossed their heads as if they could sense her indecision. The driver held out his hand for her and she cautiously took it. She place her foot on the side rail and began to climb into the cab but the driver would not let go of her hand to let her go all the way into the cab. She turned around to give him a questioning look.  
"Monsieur?"  
"Your really leaving aren't you?" he asked.  
"Erik?"  
Erik pulled the hood down exposing his masked face and the sorrow in his eyes. He looked like a betrayed child.  
"I have to Erik."  
She turned to go into the cab, but he held on to her hand. "You can't leave. That night when I fell asleep in front of the fire, I was trying to tell you something. All this time I've been searching for true love and its been staring me in the face. I was so blind and here it stands right in front of me."  
Erik raised his hand to cup her face and brush her cheek with his thumb. He smiled and Kaylen leaned down and kissed him. There they stood embracing each other, alone in the middle of the cold Paris night.


End file.
